


In a Stupor

by Hornet394



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Boys Being Boys, Characters Writing Fanfiction, Fluff and Angst, In which Kyungsoo is super distracted by Baekhyun but who isn't, M/M, Misunderstandings, in which do kyungsoo is a fanfiction writer, in which everyone has a crush on Mr Zhang but who doesn't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 23:55:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13259274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hornet394/pseuds/Hornet394
Summary: Kyungsoo dreams multiple realities in which he and Baekhyun are together, again.





	In a Stupor

**Author's Note:**

> Written for daintyboys first round #258!
> 
> It's honestly more light-hearted than the prompt implies, and I didn't rank it up to M but hope you still enjoy it regardless uwu

“Soo!” Baekhyun gasps, “I knew you’d come back for me!”

“I’d never leave you behind.” Kyungsoo repeats his vow, sheathing his sword and reaching out a hand to Baekhyun. The other man unfolds himself from the cramped space of the tower, pretty fingers resting in Kyungsoo’s own armoured hand, and Kyungsoo sweeps the prince off his feet, eliciting a shriek and a giggle from the boy.

The dragon underneath Kyungsoo's legs snorts impatiently, but obediently stays still in its dormant position as Kyungsoo gently lays Baekhyun onto the saddle, strapping him in. "My handsome, heroic dragon rider," Baekhyun breathes out, his beautiful eyes locking onto Kyungsoo's.

Kyungsoo can feel the heat of Baekhyun's body against his own, as they stay there, suspended in mid-air. Baekhyun licks his lips, and then reaches a hand out to rest on the back of Kyungsoo's neck, bringing his head closer. Kyungsoo licks his lips, and Baekhyun's gaze fall downwards.

Hot breath puffs along the bridge of Kyungsoo's nose, and a sharp jab from Jongin makes him jolt awake, his kneecaps slamming painfully onto the bottom of the school desk.

"Brilliant, Kyungsoo," Mr Wu says dryly from the front of the classroom. "I'm sure Mr Zhang would love to hear about your daydream in detention."

The whole class is sniggering, gazes demeaning and mocking. Kyungsoo's cheeks are burning up and he just wants to bury a hole and die in it, but at the corner of his eyes he can see Byun Baekhyun at the back of the classroom, laughing with both of his hands covering his mouth, eyes twinkling with mirth.

Well, at least someone's laughing.

Kim Jongin is not. 

"Dude, what the fuck?" The boy starts ranting as soon Mr Wu leaves the classroom, "Your uncle's not going to be happy, you know."

Kyungsoo just shrugs. 

Jongin immediately marches off with Sehun after school, while Kyungsoo has to call home and explain to his uncle that he's getting kept back again and for the man to expect a phone call from the school. The man's quiet for a while, but the heavy sigh that follows makes Kyungsoo wilt. He knows his uncle doesn’t really mind that much, but it's the third time this month that Kyungsoo's been kept for detention due to daydreaming in class.

It's not like Kyungsoo wanted it to happen, really. It's just - when he shares Baekhyun's classes - when Byun Baekhyun is in the same vicinity - Kyungsoo can't really think. 

Baekhyun's - so good though. Like, so good. Kyungsoo literally has no words to describe how good Baekhyun is.

You see, Kyungsoo's generally a creative and talented person. He's Mr Zhang's favourite pupil in the choir _and_ art class, and Mr Zhang - well, the guy's crazy talented, so if Kyungsoo's his favourite, Kyungsoo can surmise that he's creative, too.

So, where does all of Kyungsoo's creativity go? You see, there's this thing called "fanfiction" on the internet. This thing called "fanfiction" provides a lot of... inspiration for Kyungsoo, especially when he had stumbled across this person called Byun Baekhyun.

First day of high school, Kyungsoo had watched in awe as this confident being had just stood up in front of the classroom, and with a blinding smile, introduced himself as an only child, and he was also very happy to be making their acquaintance.

Baekhyun was an enigma, a vibrant shooting star in the otherwise dull and monotonous school life. He was something out of Kyungsoo's mind. He was Kyungsoo's muse, his inspiration, his deity. He made Kyungsoo so much more alive, he made Kyungsoo’s art so much more alive!

And it showed, from the comments he got, how his characters leaped from the black and white text and sung to his readers. It showed when he tentatively uploaded a chapter of an original story on wattpad and the mass followers he got after that.

People _loved_ the Byun Baekhyun Kyungsoo had created for himself, a Byun Baekhyun who liked him back, a Byun Baekhyun who was attracted to a loser like Do Kyungsoo.

The door to the Visual Arts room is slightly ajar, so Kyungsoo just knocks and goes in.

“Detention?” Mr Zhang’s face falls when Kyungsoo explains why he’s here. “Mr Wu sent you, you say?” He asks hesitatingly. Kyungsoo nods again.

“Alright, alright,” Mr Zhang sighs. “You know what to do.”

Obediently, Kyungsoo goes towards the massive pile of lego sitting in the corner. Mr Zhang knows Kyungsoo finishes his homework during class (so he has more time to write when he goes home), and so has tasked Kyungsoo to join him in making this gigantic lego T-rex Mr Zhang wants to erect in the empty corner of the Visual Arts classroom. (“It’ll make kids want to take my class, Kyungsoo.”)

To his surprise, Mr Zhang doesn’t come and join him, but instead go to his desk and take his phone out, seemingly quite annoyed. Kyungsoo hasn’t seen Mr Zhang like this before, but he obediently takes out the instruction manual of the T-rex and minds his own business.

The T-rex is coming along quite well. Mr Zhang and Kyungsoo have spent literal blood, sweat and tears on it, after all. The head of the T-rex looms majestically over Kyungsoo, its short little claws glistening under the moonlight. It leaps over the fallen tree with a powerful jump, making the boy on top shriek with glee, and the one behind him to scream in horror.

“Muggles have such terrifying pets!” Kyungsoo shouts, his green tie thwacking into his face every now and then as he clings to Baekhyun’s waist. “Come on, Soo! It’s just a transfigured beast!” Baekhyun yells back, “Enjoy the ride!”

After a while, Kyungsoo’s fear begins to subside, and he’s suddenly acutely aware of the fact that he’s clinging to Baekhyun’s waist. Baekhyun’s robes are bunched up between Kyungsoo’s fingers, but he is _touching_ Baekhyun.

Just then, Baekhyun cries to him, “Put your arms around me if you’re scared!”

I’m not scared, Kyungsoo wants to say, but his arms are already shooting forward, wrapping around Baekhyun’s waist. The laughter that bubbles out of Baekhyun’s throat is euphoric as Kyungsoo presses his entire front to Baekhyun’s back.

When they finally come to a stop, it takes everything in Kyungsoo’s body to peel himself away from Baekhyun, as with a pop, the T-rex turns back into Kyungsoo’s pet rat. Baekhyun’s standing in front of him, hair tousled from the wind, his eyes wide and excited.

Kyungsoo looks down to his feet.

“You know,” Baekhyun says, “You Slytherins really need to stop trying to hide your emotions. You’re doing a lousy job of it anyway.” Then there are fingers grabbing his tie, followed by soft lips touching his own-

He almost knocks over the entire T-rex statue (which would probably make Mr Zhang cry) but luckily he catches himself right before the tragedy happens.

Mr Zhang isn’t even looking at him, either way. He’s biting his plump, kissable lips- not that Kyungsoo ever dreamt of kissing his teacher! It’s just Mr Zhang is very...

Shippable.

Kyungsoo’s in the middle of piecing the T-rex’s teeth together when the harsh battering of footsteps echo in the corridor, and Mr Park, the mathematics teacher, bursts in.

“Yixing, what do you mean?” Mr Park blurts out, “I was-”

“Mr Park!” Mr Zhang snaps, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. “As you can see, Kyungsoo has detention with me today.”

Mr Park narrows his eyes at Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo stares back at him. The teacher looks away. “Wu Yifan did this, didn’t he?” Mr Park accuses.

“Yes.” Mr Zhang nods. After a long while, he bleats, “Wait, what has he to do with this?”

Mr Park looks to his shiny shoes. Kyungsoo pretends nothing is going on. “But...” The mathematics teacher starts, “Work is important...”

Kyungsoo steals a glance at Mr Park and Mr Zhang. Mr Park looks like a thousand puppies have just died in front of him, and Mr Zhang looks like the one who realized he just accidentally ran over a thousand puppies with a car.

“You know.” Kyungsoo says dryly, knowing who he’s basing the side pairing of his next fic on, “You could always reschedule my detention to next week.”

Further silence reaches him. “Or, I can go to the computer lab and have Mr Kim watch over my detention.” Kyungsoo adds helpfully.

Mr Zhang looks even more confused. “Thank you, Kyungsoo,” Mr Park says determinedly, “Run ahead to Mr Kim and inform him of this arrangement, then.”

Kyungsoo slots the last tooth in and grabs his backpack, nodding at the two teachers as he leaves. “Enjoy your date, Mr Zhang!” he calls, and runs away before the art teacher could throw a sketchbook at his head.

He jogs into the computer lab and almost immediately turns tail and runs back to the visual arts room.

“Yes, Kyungsoo?” Mr Kim calls out, and Kyungsoo trudges forward, trying to make himself small, until he reaches Mr Kim’s desk at the front of the room.

From the corner of his eye, he can see Baekhyun poking his head out curiously from behind his own computer. “How can I help you?” Mr Kim asks impatiently.

You see, Mr Kim is the one Kyungsoo bases 40% of his villains on. His villains used to just be macho, hunky man with linear personalities, before he came across Mr Kim, satan overlord of the school’s IT department. Small, short, pale, beautiful, but _absolutely evil_. What kind of teacher programs a robot to chase his students around the computer lab? What kind of teacher hacks his students facebook to frape them?

“I’m here for detention.” Kyungsoo mutters, “Mr Zhang sent me.”

“Alright.” Mr Kim narrows his eyes. “Baekhyun, you’re dismissed. Kyungsoo, go use Baekhyun’s computer.”

And when Kyungsoo drags his feet towards Baekhyun’s chair, the other boy stands up, an appraising look on his face.

“Loser.” Baekhyun whispers, and then he’s gone, leaving Kyungsoo to sit down, trembling, shame rising up on his face.

You see, there’s also one thing Kyungsoo hasn’t told you.

For the briefest of moments, he _had_ held this bright star in his hands. He had had Byun Baekhyun by his side, and he had let Byun Baekhyun go.

//

“Master~” Baekhyun’s fluffy tail sways behind him like a pendulum, hypnotizing, beautiful. 

“What is it, kitten?” Kyungsoo murmurs. He’s in a suit; he fills it very well, and he’s not sweating even though the afternoon sun streams through the window.

Baekhyun is framed perfectly by the pure velvet silk of the king-sized bed, clad in nothing but one of Kyungsoo’s shirts that just barely cover his ass, but it is left undone that everything in front is free to Kyungsoo’s perusal.

“Master~ Baekhyunnie is hungry~” Baekhyun’s eyes close cutely, his ears wiggling back and forth, “Please feed Baekhyunnie~”

Kyungsoo frames Baekhyun’s chin with his hand, and the kitten hybrid nuzzles into it, tongue darting out in little motions to wet Kyungsoo’s palm. Then, twisting his head even more to take Kyungsoo’s thumb into his mouth, laving it with attention as he looks at Kyungsoo innocently.

“Do you want more, kitten?” Kyungsoo rasps, his cock swelling quickly in the confines of his dress pants.

“Yes, Master~” Baekhyun whines, his shirt falling off his shoulders to reveal porcelain skin and well-defined collar bones. “Master, I want your milk~”

Kyungsoo comes in his pyjama pants, and he covers his face in shame. His eyes are still closed, but already the shameful dream is turning hazy. As it should be.

//

Still haunted by his impure thoughts, Kyungsoo almost forgets that he’s meeting Sehun and Jongin to discuss their group project for History, so by the time he stumbles into Starbucks, the other two boys already have their coffee.

"I'm sorry." He gasps out, slumping into the seat, “I overslept.”

“It’s 4pm,” Jongin answers awkwardly. “You had a nap?”

“...Yes.”

“Soo, caramel macchiato as usual? Sehun can fill you in with what we’ve discussed already.” Jongin says, standing up.

Kyungsoo nods gratefully at his friend, turning his attention on the notes on the table as Sehun begins to speak.

At the corner of his eye, he can see Jongin speaking to the barista, a cute, short girl with cropped black hair.

Baekhyun would be the the barista who dyes his hair all colours of the rainbow and more, always having a cheery smile for customers no matter what kind of words they say to him. He's the one who makes foam kittens for little children, he's the one who adds a smiley face on people's cups.

Kyungsoo would be the new fresher that had just moved halfway across the country for university. He wouldn't get along with his roommates, he'd be all alone and already stressed out by work that had yet to come. Then he'd come in, just hoping for a coffee, and then Baekhyun would light up his world.

He'd stutter through his order, a violent flush colouring his face, because he's the type of person who needs his coffee in a particular way. But Baekhyun would be patient, so patient, and he'd tolerate Kyungsoo's word tics even as the man behind started to get impatient.

He'd get Kyungsoo's name wrong, though, because people aren't perfect. He'd get Kyungsoo's name wrong every day, every time Kyungsoo comes in to order. At first, at genuine misunderstanding, then, deliberately.

Then, finally, Kyungsoo would find a number written on his coffee, and he'd drop the whole cup in his surprise. He'd catch everyone's attention, but all his focus would be on Baekhyun leaping over the counter in shock with a towel, frantically asking Kyungsoo if he had burnt himself, trying to save Kyungsoo's white shirt as much as he can.

"Yes." Kyungsoo would blurt out.

"W-what?" Baekhyun would stutter, grabbing Kyungsoo's hand and wiping away the scorching coffee desperately.

"Date me." Kyungsoo continues to embarrass himself.

Baekhyun looks up, his eyes wide and clear. Shocked, but also hopeful, happy. The rest of the patrons would clap and cheer, and Baekhyun would open his mouth to say...

“Do Kyungsoo, are you even listening to me?” Sehun snaps in annoyance, tapping at the rim of Kyungsoo’s cup with a spoon. His head hits the table and he jolts awake, staring at Sehun with wide eyes.

“Dude,” Sehun says, his voice much softer. “Do you need to go home and rest or something? You don’t look too well. We can talk about this another time.”

Kyungsoo is about to open his mouth and say it’s fine, when a sudden commotion erupts from the other end of the coffee shop. To Kyungsoo’s surprise, he recognizes all three men involved in the argument.

With coffee dripping off the front of his shirt is Mr Wu, a dumb look on his face. Rooted in his seat at the booth is Mr Park, and the one standing up angrily is Mr Zhang.

“Yifan, what the fuck?” Mr Zhang barks angrily, “Are you this fucking petty to use your _students_ to distract me _on purpose_? Those are your students! And you! Park Chanyeol! Who do you think you are? Talking behind people's backs, doing all these- all these _stupid_ things - what do you take me for? I'm not a prize of any stupid contest you two have!”

Mr Wu is knocked sideways when Mr Zhang storms off, an enraged look on the art teacher’s normally serene expression. 

“Oops.” Sehun mutters. “There goes our couple of the year.” Jongin also comes back with Kyungsoo’s coffee, eyes fixated on Mr Park and Mr Wu, still standing there in shock.

See, Kyungsoo wished there was also a Wu Yifan for him and Baekhyun. At least, there would be someone to blame when their relationship didn’t work out.

You see, someone like Kyungsoo would had never _dared_ talk to someone like Baekhyun. Baekhyun had been the one to seek Kyungsoo out, cornered him in the corridor outside the library one afternoon.

“I’ve seen you looking at me,” Baekhyun had said. “Luckily you’re cute.”

“Y-y-y-you’re Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo had squeaked out like an idiot.

“Yes,” Baekhyun smiled coyly, “If you want, I can be your boyfriend, too.”

Kyungsoo had felt so small then, but he had also felt on top of the world.

“It can be our little secret.” Baekhyun had winked, and his lips had tasted of caramel candy and everything sweet and addicting in the world.

For weeks Kyungsoo had thought of himself as living in a dream, he must be in some kind of yaoi manga or fanfiction for this to happen. His writing productivity had gone through the roof as his brain had whizzed through scenarios to explain how on earth Baekhyun had found him attractive.

Their relationship, then, became something he held at arms length. It was exciting, stealing kisses between classes, hiding behind a tree to make out while everyone was filling out of the school. To quickly hide his phone when his uncle asked him who he was texting during dinner. To stay away during lunch, to flirt across the canteen without anyone noticing.

Baekhyun tried to be touchy in public, but Kyungsoo always shied away. He was living the perfect shoujo yaoi manga life - hot, smart boy dates short, nerd boy. It was like living in a fantasy, living in a dream - say it too loud and he’d wake up, and the balloon would burst. If other people knew, they would point fingers, they would talk, and then Baekhyun would leave him. Kyungsoo didn’t want it to disappear.

But he was delusional, and he only realized it too late.

“Are you even serious about this relationship?” Baekhyun had snapped one day. “I can’t hold your hand when other people are around. I can’t kiss you, I can’t touch you, I can’t even _flirt_ with you. I’m not- I won’t be your fucking plaything you can just pick up and put down when you like! Is this all a game to you, huh?”

“You said it was a secret.” Kyungsoo says bluntly, looking to the floor in embarrassment.

“I’m not asking you to- to- _marry_ me or something.” Baekhyun grounds out, “I’m just asking you to be my proper _boyfriend_. Is that idea not- not _exciting_ enough for you? But it seems like everything is such a joke to you, you just _have_ to make everything so dramatic - just fuck off, Do Kyungsoo.”

“What?” Kyungsoo’s head snaps up in alarm, he couldn’t believe his own ears.

“I’ve given you everything, I was ready to give you more.” Baekhyun says angrily, “It’s only me who is taking steps forward, while you just keep retreating back and back and back. If I’m the only one putting effort into this relationship, I don’t see why I should concede anymore. I’m brea- No, I’m dumping you, Do Kyungsoo. You are the worst decision of my life.”

And that, is how Kyungsoo’s dream came to an end.

//

“...So the dadaist movement expressed nonsense, irrationality, and nons-”

Mr Zhang quiets down again.

The whole class is silent as well, not their usual chatty selves. The tension in the classroom is palpable, and it makes Kyungsoo shift in his seat uneasily, knowing exactly why the teacher was so distracted today.

“You know what?” Mr Zhang says, rubbing his head, “Just grab paper and do whatever you want for today.”

Kyungsoo is the first to stand up from his chair, shuffling to the paper rack at the back of the classroom. Silently his classmates follow, leaving Mr Zhang to nurse his head at front, his eyes closed.

The white canvas is a field for imagination. His classmates are taking good use of the opportunity to fool around, a more studious one drawing a mind map for history on the paper.

As always, Kyungsoo finds an unoccupied corner and writes.

The large paper promises endless possibilities, Kyungsoo’s mind promises endless possibilities. The ink flows from his pen as he scrawls, a compact, neat calligraphy that Kyungsoo zones into.

Today, his model is not himself and Baekhyun, but Mr Zhang, who’s in his own little bubble at the teacher’s desk, forlorn and troubled.

Mr Zhang - Yixing - was the most sought after Omega in the wolf packs of the mountain, but he himself had been more than oblivious to that fact.

Alpha Chanyeol and Alpha Yifan were leaders of two wolf packs, and they always, always fought to win the favour of the beautiful Omega. Their competition got so ridiculous that the Omega shunned them, turned them away, and the two wolves became the laughingstock of all the wolf packs of the mountain.

But then there was a sudden crisis, one that Kyungsoo goes into lengths on, which brings all the wolf packs together. Chanyeol and Yifan put aside their differences and save the day together, and they get back into Yixing’s good graces this way.

He puts down his pen.

In an alternate universe, mistakes could be forgiven without explanation, love could triumph over anything. In an alternate universe people would _change_ , all people would just _change_ for the better, for love.

In an alternate world, Kyungsoo wouldn’t be this shy. He wouldn’t be this scared, wouldn’t be so engrossed with the imagined world that he’s forgotten what it means to be part of the real world. He wouldn’t be plagued by his parents’ unhappy and failed marriage, he wouldn’t be so _unrealistic_.

In an alternate world, Kyungsoo would treat Baekhyun right.

And look, there’s Baekhyun, talking with a girl, a soft smile on his face outside the art classroom. Charming, radiant as always, what makes Baekhyun _Baekhyun_.

And Kyungsoo tears the paper to pieces.

He only wishes that girl was that piece of paper. He would tear the paper with his bare hands, scribble on it, make it ugly. He would throw it in the fire, cover it with gasoline and set it alight. He would drench it, let it dissolve in the tank of water.

Maybe, if he was feeling merciful, he would fold it up and crush it under his feet.

If the whole world would just turn into pieces of paper, except for him and Baekhyun. He would pass the papers through shredders, turn them into useless garbage, until him and Baekhyun are left.

The book Mr Zhang drops on Kyungsoo’s table jolts him out of that fantasy.

“Class is over, Kyungsoo,” the teacher says softly. “Are you not going to lunch?”

“S- sorry.” Kyungsoo blurts out, staring at the shredded paper in his hands and around him on the floor in dismay.

To his surprise, Mr Zhang doesn’t lecture him about conserving the environment, instead pulls a stool up to sit opposite to him.

“Us teachers have been concerned with your recent... behaviour, Kyungsoo,” Mr Zhang says softly, “You’re not paying attention anymore, and you’ve missed quite a lot of homework. Is something wrong?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head vigorously.

“Then,” Mr Zhang says, “do you mind if I unload on you a little bit?”

Kyungsoo looks up in bewilderment.

“Ever since that day - I knew you were there, Kyungsoo - that day where I fell out with Chanyeol - Mr Park and Mr Wu, almost everyone in the staff room have told me that the two of them were moping. They asked me to something about it, but I explained to them that I was not the solution.”

“But they liked you - they like you. A lot.” Kyungsoo answers, “Even if there was rivalry steeped in between - everyone could see they liked you.”

“I don’t have to like people back just because they like me,” Mr Zhang says calmly, “If I don’t think they’re worthy of my attention, of my forgiveness - why should I like them back?”

“But they’re trying to make amends, they’re staying away, trying not to bother you - would you ever change your mind?” Whether they’re talking about the same person is largely unknown.

“That isn’t up to me, that was never up to me. They’re waiting for me to come up to them, to talk to them first - and that’s never going to happen, because I’m not the one who took three steps backward. I already took a step forward, and they repaid me by stepping backwards, by making our relationship a competition, a... meaningless... conflict. They cared more about this competition of theirs than they cared about the relationship I had with them. Because Kyungsoo ah, you know what was the most disappointing?” Mr Zhang smiles. “It is not in making mistakes. All people make mistakes. If you are willing to change, and commit to it - that speaks more than any flowers you could give, any apologies you could make. The most disappointing thing is when you let go without even trying. The most disappointing is when you don’t make things straight. If you were not meant to be together - then so be it. If you were not meant to be together, you will know, both of you will know. But if you wait for opportunities to fall into your lap - if you never try, you will never know.”

“But B- but he said he didn’t want to talk to me.” Kyungsoo murmurs.

Mr Zhang’s smile widens. “Baekhyun has always been stubborn. He valued you so much, that’s why he’s so harsh against you now. If you value him too, then you should not be sitting here, _waiting _for him to forgive you, to soften towards you. You need to be out there, taking action yourself. If you want to spend forever with him, then you should give it your all everyday.”__

__Something flashes in his mind. He asks, “Mr Zhang, can you help me?”_ _

__//_ _

__“I don’t really understand why I’m here,” Junmyeon tells Kyungsoo, frazzled, “Your teacher said something about you _bullying_ someone? You? Kyungsoo? What happened?”_ _

__“Don’t worry, Uncle,” Kyungsoo says, “You’re here so that I can finally talk things through with someone.”_ _

__“What? The boy you’re bullying? The boy bullying you?” Bless his soul, Kyungsoo muses, but his uncle takes a seat all the same._ _

__“I don’t understand,” Baekhyun’s mother also says once she’s sat down as well, wringing her hands, eyeing Kyungsoo with confusion. “You are... bullying Baekhyun?”_ _

__Just then, Mr Zhang pushes open the door to the office, herding Baekhyun in._ _

__“What the fuck?” Baekhyun spits out as soon as he sees Kyungsoo, and he’s ready to just turn around and leave._ _

__“Byun Baekhyun, language!” His mother snaps, “Now come here and sit down!”_ _

__“I’m not talking to him,” Baekhyun hisses, “He’s just being his delusional self again.”_ _

__“Now,” Junmyeon frowns, “I hesitate to insinuate anything, but with your actions here it seems more likely that you’re bullying our Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun’s mother turns her glare onto Junmyeon._ _

__“Ms Byun, Mr Kim,” Mr Zhang says airily, “Perhaps we should listen to what Kyungsoo has to say for himself. Baekhyun, please sit down.”_ _

__Baekhyun does so, but it is begrudging and reluctant. It’s clear in the way he huffs and slumps into his chair, earning him a reprimanding glare from his mother._ _

__Four pairs of eyes turn to Kyungsoo expectantly, and he’s suddenly very acute of the sweat pooling in his palms. Then Mr Zhang’s gaze meets his, reassuring and supportive._ _

__“I’m sorry!”_ _

__Baekhyun closes his eyes in defeat, entire body shuddering violently._ _

__“I’m sorry, Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo continues, pointedly ignoring Mrs Byun and Junmyeon’s gaze. “I was a coward. I hurt you. I didn’t mean to do so, but, but I did, and all I ended up thinking about was how _I_ got hurt from it. I’m sorry. I apologized to you over and over in my head, but- but I was never brave enough to say it out loud, thinking that it would hurt me too much. _ _

__“I do care about you. I just got caught up in- in the idea of having you that I forgot to care for you, I was just so focused on the thought that you being my boyfriend that I forgot that I was _yours_ , too. And... I hope you’d forgive me. And. If I could get a second chance.”_ _

__Baekhyun has his head lowered, expression unreadable after Kyungsoo’s outburst. Silence reigns in the room, as if everyone is holding their breath on Kyungsoo’s behalf._ _

__“No.” Baekhyun finally grounds out, and an audible groan passes through the room. Kyungsoo’s heart plummets like a rock, and unbiddingly there are tears welling in his eyes. Mr Zhang gives him a soft smile. At least, Kyungsoo thinks, at least he tried._ _

__Then Baekhyun continues, “Unless you go and watch ‘With God’ with me. Even if you fucking hate sad movies. Tonight, 7pm, the cinema near my place.”_ _

__“YES.” Junmyeon and Ms Byun shout at the same time._ _

__“Yes!” Kyungsoo squeaks._ _

__“That’s settled, then.” Baekhyun finally looks up to meet Kyungsoo’s gaze, a soft, wry smile on his lips, his eyes suspiciously red. “Mr Zhang, I need to go get prepared for my date.”_ _

__“Yeah, you have a bug in your stomach or something,” Mr Zhang waves his hands dismissively, “Shoo.”_ _

__Baekhyun jumps onto his feet, and, ignoring Kyungsoo’s rapidly beating chest, comes over and kisses him on the cheek. “I’m sorry for the things I said to you,” he whispers, “I didn’t mean any of them.”_ _

__Then he’s sauntering out of the classroom with a skip to his step, his mother hurriedly following after saying goodbye to Mr Zhang and Junmyeon._ _

__“I need to do something about that mouth of yours...”_ _

__It’s when Ms Byun’s voice fades into the distance that Junmyeon seems to finally realize what had been happening._ _

__“Wait, so Kyungsoo staged this PTA meeting so he could talk to Baekhyun?” Junmyeon splutters, and Mr Zhang gives him a wry smile._ _

__“Your son has always been smart. And resourceful.” He comments._ _

__“Oh! I’m unmarried!” Junmyeon squeaks out, the flustered tone in his voice making Kyungsoo look up. “I’m his Uncle, really. His parents are sent abroad for work right now, so he’s staying with me.” Junmyeon continues to explain._ _

__Mr Zhang seems to have picked up the desperation in Junmyeon’s voice, because he just nods slowly in confusion._ _

__Junmyeon looks at Kyungsoo, then seems to have made his mind on something as he wipes his hands on his pants._ _

__“Say, Mr Zhang,” He squeaks, “Can I take you out to dinner?”_ _

__Kyungsoo stares. Mr Zhang blinks._ _

__“I’m not looking to get involved with anyone.”_ _

__“Just as friends. First. And then. And then we can go from there.”_ _

__“You’re very persistent.” Mr Zhang says tersely._ _

__“I am.” Junmyeon stammers, “I am, very much.”_ _

__The corner of Mr Zhang’s lips turn up. “Good.” He says, “I hope you really are.”_ _


End file.
